Former Prosecutor to Handle Investigations, Commercial Litigation

July 8, 2019

Michael N. Herring, who earned widespread acclaim and public support for
his leadership as Richmond’s top prosecutor for the past 13 years, has
joined McGuireWoods’ litigation practice as a partner. He will represent
clients in government investigations, white-collar criminal defense and
commercial litigation.

Herring was first elected Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney in 2005 and won
re-election three times without opposition. Managing an office of 40
lawyers, he led high-profile criminal prosecutions and was appointed to
head politically sensitive investigations involving alleged conduct of top
statewide elected officials. He helped Richmond police develop strategies
to reduce homicides and violent crimes dramatically and implemented
groundbreaking criminal justice reforms adopted by other Virginia
localities.

Herring initiated efforts to find alternatives to criminal trials such as
diversion programs and deferred prosecutions for first-time nonviolent
offenders. He also collaborated with the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project to
exonerate three individuals wrongfully convicted of violent crimes in
Richmond decades ago.

“Mike Herring has provided strong, forward-looking leadership as Richmond
Commonwealth’s Attorney, earning the respect and admiration of the legal
community, city and state leaders and the citizens he represented,” said
McGuireWoods chairman
Jonathan Harmon. “Our clients will benefit greatly from his experience and sound
judgment.”

Born in Richmond, Herring earned undergraduate and law degrees at the
University of Virginia. Before his election as Commonwealth’s Attorney, he
handled criminal defense, medical malpractice and personal injury
litigation in private practice and served in the office of the
Commonwealth’s Attorney from 1992 to 1996 as senior felony trial attorney
for violent crimes and narcotics offenses. Herring is a fellow of the
American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in
North America.

“Mike has amassed an incredible record of accomplishment in a legal career
that got its start when he was a McGuireWoods summer associate in 1988,”
said
George Keith Martin, managing partner of the firm’s Richmond office. “We’re delighted to have
him back home.”

“I am excited to join McGuireWoods because of its national reputation for
excellence and top client service,” Herring said. “I am delighted that I
now have a role in serving the firm’s clients and advancing that reputation
further.”

Herring joins a litigation practice recognized as a leader in
BTI Litigation Outlook:
Changes Trends and Opportunities for Law
Firms. McGuireWoods was among an elite group ranked as “standouts” in multiple
practices, including complex commercial litigation. McGuireWoods also ranks
among the world’s premier investigations firms in the GIR 100, a guide to
leading cross-border investigations practices based on independent research
by Global Investigations Review.

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